


fever dream

by stcrlqrds (orphan_account)



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, M/M, but byler at the end, i don’t really know what this is but enjoy (or try to), inspired by talking in your sleep by the romantics, mileven at first
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-23
Updated: 2019-02-23
Packaged: 2019-11-04 12:14:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17898248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/stcrlqrds
Summary: Mike Wheeler can’t seem to get Will Byers off his mind.





	fever dream

Mike Wheeler's dirty, scuffed shoes connected with the grey cement that lay below his bedroom window. A cold October wind ruffled his messy curls and he wrapped his jacket tighter around himself, as he quietly crept past the living room window where the TV blared the theme tune of a show he didn't recognise loud enough for the whole neighbourhood to hear. The lights were turned on and he hoped that his dad didn't see his shadow sneak past as he grabbed his bike that was now about three years too old and pedalled off.

He wasn't supposed to leave, considering he was grounded for vandalising the bathrooms again, but it was the Party's weekly movie night and Mike couldn't imagine missing it even when the world was about to end. Anyway, he'd heard that they were watching Ghostbusters this week and that was too good of a film to pass up. (Or was it Stand By Me? Mike couldn't remember. Either way, they were both Will's favourite and even the thought of Will made a crooked smile grow on Mike's face.)

The journey was quick and he arrived at Dustin's in no time. He gently knocked on the door and was greeted by the sight of El standing in front of him. Guilt rushed through him as his mind strayed back to the dreams _(nightmares)_ he'd been getting on repeat every night for the past few weeks. He pushed it down and slung his arm around her slight shoulders as she beamed up at him. Before he pulled her to the side and connected their lips together in a rushed kiss, he remembered thinking about how her smile could light up his whole world yet still couldn't compare to the sight of Will's. _(Jane Hopper had built a home in Mike Wheeler’s heart but Will Byers made supernovas burst in his chest, blooming and burning the house Jane had made down to the ground.)_ Even so, he reveled in the feeling of her mouth moving against his own, how her lips always seemed to taste like honey but never seemed to fully indulge his sweet tooth. His hands wandered to her waist and hers curled around the wisps of his hair that lay at the nape of his neck and he smiled despite the sinking feeling growing in his stomach that told him there was something so wrong about all of this, no matter how right it felt.

Suddenly El pulled away just as quickly as Mike had pushed them together. Her eyes roamed his and he could feel her boring into his soul. He shifted uncomfortably but she appeared not to notice. It looked like she was about to say something, her mouth parting to speak but she faltered, the words stumbling on her tongue just as they'd been about to pour out. She only shook herself off, pulling out of Mike's embrace and sending him a strange backwards glance before heading back into the living room.

Mike felt worry and confusion course through him. What was up with her? She'd been fine moments before, kissing him like they always did, soft and slow and like they had all the time in the world but she had pulled away hurriedly, like she'd remembered something and she couldn't bear the feel of his skin against hers. He dragged her palm of his hand across his face and groaned. What the hell had he done wrong? Should he not have kissed her? But she hadn't stopped him and—

His thoughts were cut off when Will poked his head around the corner and looked at him. "Come on, the movie's about to-" His voice faltered when he saw the look on Mike's face, as if his whole world had just been crushed, as if Will had been the one to make it that way. He took a step forwards. "Are you okay?" His tone was concerned and Mike recoiled as Will reached forward to touch his shoulder, remembering the dreams he'd been having, of reaching out to Will and feeling him fall out of his grasp. Will stepped back hurriedly, shock passing into hurt. It looked like tears were threatening to fall, like he was about to say something before deciding better of it and, like El, turned sharply on his heel and walked away.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Hours later and Mike walked silently home, one hand shoved into his pocket, the other steering his bike, making sure that it didn’t catch in a pothole and send him stumbling. The night was awkward, to say the least. Will barely said one word to him, only a simple _bye_ when he walked out the door. El was quieter, something was off with her and Mike couldn’t quite place his finger on it.

A thousand possibilities raced through Mike’s mind as to what could be up with both of them, but no conclusion he reached seemed to be plausible. Even as he reached home and shimmied his way up the less than stable rose trellis that ran up the side of his house and gave him access to his bedroom window he was not able to come to a possible explanation. Even as he brushed his teeth, changed into his pyjamas and tucked himself into bed he was not able to understand it. Not even as sleep began to take him, could Mike

_see him clearly, but he knew that his eyes would contain starlight, his goofy smile would be so majestic that no words Mike used could describe the true glory of it all. Will Byers was standing in front of him, close enough for him to reach out and touch, to feel his softness for himself yet he couldn’t bear to, scared that he would disintegrate right under his fingers. And that had already happened too many times before, too many dreams-turned-nightmares where he had lost everything he wanted, needed. Mike couldn’t bear to see Will crumble and crack again, watch the walls they had so carefully built collapse around them with a single strike. Yet it seemed that an unknown force was pulling him towards Will, making him stretch out his fingers to reach him, to grab his hand and lace their fingers together and Mike thought for a split second that maybe he wouldn’t lose him this time. That was all turned to dust when Will slowly faded away, leaving him alone in the consuming dark._

Mike woke screaming Will’s name again.


End file.
